The present invention relates generally to a reinforcement strip. More particularly, the invention relates to a reinforcement strip and kit for use in repairing or attaching a page to a wire binding of a wire bound notebook.
Wire bound notebooks, and particularly spiral wire bound notebooks, are widely used by students, office workers and others for conveniently maintaining class notes, business records and other entries. In a wire bound notebook, a wire or a plastic strip is wound through perforated holes along an edge of the pages, typically front and back covers and paper sheets, in order to bind them together. Once bound, the pages cannot be removed from the wire binding without tearing each page, from each of the perforated holes to the edge of the page.
A main benefit of a wire bound notebook is that it retains the pages to the wire binding of the notebook in the event the notebook is accidentally dropped. A disadvantage with a wire bound notebook is the inability of reattaching a page to the wire binding should a page be torn from the notebook. Another disadvantage of a wire bound notebook is the inability of attaching to the wire binding a new or additional page in a desired location between the pages in a wire bound notebook.
Several devices have been proposed for reinforcing or repairing pages in notebooks. Many of these devices are applicable only to loose-leaf binders which operatively hold the pages in a way that allows for their removal without tearing the page. Specifically, a loose-leaf binder includes spring biased ring portions which in an open position are insertable in the perforated holes of a page and which in a closed position retains the pages together.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,375,582 granted to Pitt discloses a grommet having a hole, and alternatively a strip having a plurality of holes, for reinforcing loose-leaf pages. The grommet and strip are attached to a page with the hole or holes in registration with the perforated holes of the page. Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,601,125 granted to O'Connor discloses a foldable reinforcement clip that attaches to the edge of a page. The reinforcement clip has holes which are folded about the edge of the paper in registration with the perforated holes of the page. Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,601,853 granted to Hirszson discloses a method of reinforcing perforated pages with a circular tab of reinforcing material having an offset hole that provides a greater amount of material to that portion of the page between the holes and the edge of a page where the page is most likely tear. Still another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,325 granted to Colby discloses a reinforcement for corner mounting holes. The reinforcement comprises a corner shaped pocket member made of paper or other similar material. The pocket includes a front wall and a back wall each of which includes a hole located to be in registration with the corner mounting hole in a page when the corner shaped pocket is mounted onto the corner of the page. Still yet another example, U.S. Pat. No. 822,427 granted to Bushong discloses a leaf or page for loose-leaf binders. The page contains perforated holes along the edge of the page and the page has a slit or opening from the edge of the page to each of the holes.
The above devices, although appropriate for repair of a page in a loose-leaf binder, are not suitable for use in repair or insertion of a page in a wire bound notebook. All of the above disclosed devices, except Bushong, include reinforcement means that contain a hole or holes having a continuous surrounding edge which require a binder that is operable to allow insertion of a page without tearing the page from each of the perforated holes to the edge of the page. A wire bound notebook, by its very nature, is not operable to allow removal of a page without tearing it.
A device, applicable for inserting a page in a wire bound notebooks is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,015 granted to Nerlinger. Nerlinger discloses a fastening means for attaching documents and other items to a wire binder of a notebook. The fastening means include a plurality of tabs positioned adjacently such that they form a notch that opens to provide access to an aperture in which the wire binder is retained upon insertion of the fastening means into a notebook. Nerlinger, as well as Bushong, includes a slit or opening in the direction of the shortest distance from the edge of the perforated hole and the edge of the page. This requires the fastening means to be made out of a stronger material than that of the page, or that the fastening means be of an increased thickness, or a combination of stronger material and increased thickness. In Nerlinger, although the notched or V-shaped groove may enable one to more easily insert a wire binding into the fastening means, the adjacent tabs forms a smaller gap compared to the diameter of the wire binding and provides only a relatively small amount of available material for retaining the fastener means to the wire binding. Increasing the thickness of the fastening means, to increase it ability to retain the wire binding, limits the number of pages which can be effectively reattached or added to a wire binding of a wire bound notebook.
For completeness, U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,962 granted to Goodwin and U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,378 granted to Goodman disclose a shower curtain repair for repairing tears in plasticized sheet material.